TEXT: ‘Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord all the day long’ (Proverbs 23:17 AMPC). The Bible says, ‘The fear of man brings a snare’ (Proverbs 29:25). How many of us have experienced that in some form or another? The Book of Proverbs also mentions another fear, “The Fear of the Lord” several times. These references show what godly fear can achieve, working in us and for us. ‘Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God’ (Proverbs 2:5 NLT). Hopefully, Today’s Teaching will help us to do just that. The “Fear” mentioned means reverential awe, recognising God for who He is and what He stands for. Jesus taught us to pray on this basis, ‘Our Father in heaven, we honour your holy name’ (Matthew 6:9 TLB). 1. The Fear of the Lord is Informative A. It’s the beginning of knowledge – ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge’ (Proverbs 1:7) Man wants to know about anything and everything, but often fails to include God in that quest. ‘Then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God’ (Proverbs 2:5). Godly fear helps us to discover what God is...
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TEXT: ‘Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious’ (1 Peter 2:7). The Apostle Peter had started working life as a rugged fisherman, so it’s perhaps surprising he used words like “precious” in his epistles. Today’s Teaching studies them to see what we can learn. In J R Tolkien’s book, “The Lord of the Rings”, Smigel called the ring, “My precious”. He couldn’t bear to live without it and did everything possible to get it back. In the end he perished, falling down into the raging fire trying to retrieve his precious ring. Surely this incident confirms the words of Jesus, ‘Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also’ (Matthew 6:21). Who or what is precious to you? Are you doing what Jesus encourages everyone to do and store up treasure in heaven? 1. Precious Faith – ‘Simon Peter a servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to you which have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ’ (2 Peter 1:1 GNV). ‘That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honour, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ’ (1 Peter 1:7). How foolish to just...
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TEXT: ‘For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come’ (1 Thessalonians 1:8-10). The genuineness of the Thessalonians’ faith was revealed by the things they did which caused Paul, Silas and Timothy to rejoice that their labours in pioneering the church had not been in vain. This fledgling church not only stood the test of time but actively sought to share their faith within the surrounding communities and beyond. In our text, four times the word “To” is used and this helps us to understand why their faith was so real. 1. To God – ‘How you turned to God from idols’ This was a true reflection of repentance. We turn from something to someone. They turned to God from idolatry. Greek mythology was widespread but the conquering Roman Empire brought their own gods. People would have...
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TEXT: ‘In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple’ (Isaiah 6:1). Thousands of people die every day. The saying goes, “The only thing certain about life is death!” Unfortunately due to the internet and social media, daily we are made aware of deaths around the world and how they came about, however awful they may have been. The same was true in Isaiah’s day. People were dying daily too but when the monarch died it was of national importance. How would the new king act? Would they lead the nation in a godly or ungodly way? From Israel’s history we read that many kings started off with good intentions but strayed from pleasing God to carrying out their own agenda, usually to detriment of the people they reigned over. Our Queen has been a shining example of faithfulness to God and to the nation. In the year King Uzziah died, Isaiah had a vision of God and Today’s Teachings focusses on three principles of that encounter which will help us as we come to terms with the death of Queen Elizabeth. 1. In the year of death, Isaiah saw the One...
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TEXT: ‘So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper”’ (2 Chronicles 20:20). The Bible is full of miraculous events that appear to be unbelievable because they are so amazing. The account of King Jehoshaphat’s reaction when being told he was about to be overrun by a superior army and what resulted, is no different. In Part 1, we considered 3 principles: wrong associations; reacting to God’s discipline; and how a crisis can suddenly arise and catch us unawares. Today’s Teaching focusses on another four as we see Jehoshaphat move from fear to faith. God said, ‘I am the Lord, I do not change’ (Malachi 3:6). Therefore we can adopt God’s principles and believe God’s promises because they are as true today as they were thousands of years ago. 4. Prayer – ‘Shaken, Jehoshaphat prayed. He went to God for help and ordered a nationwide fast. The country of Judah united in seeking God’s help—they came from all the cities of Judah to pray to God’ (2 Chronicles 20:3-4 MSG) Jehoshaphat got the...
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TEXT: ‘So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper”’ (2 Chronicles 20:20). It’s a shame when Christians avoid reading the Old Testament, because with a little digging they would find nuggets of gold hidden in the pages of Israel’s history. God said, ‘I am the Lord, I do not change’ (Malachi 3:6). Therefore we can adopt God’s principles and believe God’s promises because they are as true today as they were thousands of years ago. The biblical account of King Jehoshaphat’s actions when he faced being overwhelmed by a superior army reveals seven principles that we can learn from. 1. Wrong Associations – ‘Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance; and by marriage he allied himself with Ahab. So Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?” And he answered him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will be with you in the war” (2 Chronicles 18:1,3). Jehoshaphat was persuaded by Ahab to support him in a war against Syria. Despite a warning by...
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